


Give Me A Hug

by Terr



Series: Prompt Requests [3]
Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:29:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27914569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terr/pseuds/Terr
Summary: Part 2 of a Chapter 11 rewrite/AU where MC slips into coma before the antidote is created.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Series: Prompt Requests [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032390
Kudos: 11





	Give Me A Hug

When Chiara opened her eyes, an utter confusion overtook her features.

Right before she closed them – hours or weeks ago? – she made sure that the blue of Ethan’s eyes was the last thing her mind absorbed.

Staring right into them again she wondered what kind of reality has she found herself in now?

His eyes weren’t as bright as she liked them the most.

The blue missed the innocence it only obtained right after waking up, when all the responsibilities hasn’t yet downed on him.

There wasn’t the spark that only appeared when Ethan was working on a case and his mind was on medicine and medicine only.

The fire blazing in his irises every time he kissed her was absent.

But green met blue without the plastic shield of Ethan’s helmet between them and the terror present in his eyes the last time they spoke was no longer there.

Concern obscured the radiancy, but his gaze was soft and caring and Chiara – without any proper logical explanation – knew that it was her Ethan looking at her.

“What is happening?” she asked at last, fragility of her voice surprising both of them.

Ethan squeezed her hand – only now Chiara noticed that he was holding it – and smiled gently, so gently it almost scared her.

“They made it. The antidote has been created.”

The antidote.

It took her a long while for Ethan’s words to settle. Chiara tried to recall all the events that led her to this moment, but the line between what was real and what was a pure product of her imagination was blurry.

“I slipped into coma,” she whispered.

Ethan nodded and there were more pictures forming in her head. Only they weren’t pictures, they were memories. Terrible, painful ones.

“How is Raf?” she asked quietly, too scared to hear the answer.

“He should wake up anytime soon too.”

Chiara let out a long breath of relief and turned her face away from Ethan’s intense gaze. She knew what he was doing, she knew that he could _see her as she was_ , not as a patient but as Chiara and right at the moment, Chiara didn’t want to be seen.

Clearing her throat, she asked: “Could you help me get to the window?”

She was already sitting up on the bed.

“You should be resting.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “So are you going to help me or should I get there myself?”

Ethan sighed, but really there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. Just hours ago, he believed he would never see her eyes open again. The stubbornness he admired and that annoyed him at the same time was the most beautiful reminder that she was truly alive.

Taking her hand into his and putting his free one on the small of her back, he led her to the window.

Last time she stared out of a window, Chiara tried to capture every little detail into her mind – the sparrow sitting on a branch whose leaves were already gone, the cars crossing the street carelessly, the window of an opposite building, behind which the business men went on with their jobs, as if the world was the same as yesterday.

Last time she stared out of a window, she believed it to be truly _last time._

“Are you okay?” Ethan asked, his hand never leaving her back.

“Obviously. I am alive.”

“That’s not what I asked and you know it.”

“Jesus Christ, don’t ask _me_ if I am okay,” Chiara snapped at him, her gaze not leaving the scenery outside the window. “Ask Sienna. Ask Bobby’s kids. Ask Danny’s sister or his mother. They lost someone they loved because I didn’t want to wait for police officers. Because I believed I could handle the situation.”

Ethan knew what was happening inside of her head. He has read so many articles and studies about survival guilt and yet, he had no idea how to react. Nothing that came to his mind sounded right.

There was no point in arguing with her, there was no point in trying to soothe her pain.

And so, even though he felt like a coward, Ethan decided to distract her.

“Your mother will be here tomorrow morning.”

Chiara’s eyebrow raised in a surprise, but even then, she refused to turn to look at Ethan.

“Does she know I survived?”

“She knows about the antidote. I’ll let her know you woke up – or maybe you should call her.”

Chiara shrugged and nodded, wishing Ethan would do it. She didn’t want to talk to anyone just yet.

The pictures in her head kept swirling and at some point, her curiosity got bigger than the fear of a possible disappointment.

“What do you remember about our last conversation?” she blurted out before the fear could stop her.

Ethan froze for a second and at that moment, he was thankful that Chiara wasn’t looking at him.

“ _You_ were the one slipping into coma, Chiara,” he attempted to joke. “I remember everything.”

Some of the tension left her body. It was a poor attempt to lighten the atmosphere, but Ethan tried and Chiara appreciated it.

Fidgeting her fingers nervously, she spoke rapidly, as if to stop herself from not saying anything at all.

“It’s just that… all those memories – I don’t know if they are truly memories or if my brain is making things up and-“

“If you are trying to ask about me confessing my love to you – and you confessing yours, for that matter – that really did happen,” Ethan interrupted her.

For the first time, Chiara dared to look at him. She turned from the window slowly and raised her head so that she could see Ethan’s expression better.

She wanted to say something, say _anything_ , but no sound left her mouth.

It was funny, really. Hours ago, she believed she would die and she thought that she had nothing to lose.

Now, she was left speechless because Ethan Ramsey used the word ‘love’ in a connection to her.

Before she could compose herself, Ethan spoke again.

“We need to talk,” he sighed. “But right now, I have to page Baz and June to come here and check on you. We still need to be careful not to miss any sign of a setback.”

“Are you sure you are not trying to avoid the conversation?” Chiara teased and Ethan’s heart started to beat faster at the smirk that found its way onto her face.

He shook his head but didn’t argue, knowing that he more than deserved such remark.

 **“Just give me a hug, please** ,” he whispered at last and as Chiara wrapped her arms around his neck, he felt like the world was right again.

He hugged her back, as tightly as he dared and they stayed in their embrace for a long moment, emotions overriding them.

Ethan could feel hot tears falling from his eyes and into Chiara’s hair and at any other circumstances, he would try to hide them before she would notice.

But not now.

Now, he could feel the front of his shirt getting wet and he knew that they both deserved to cry.

“I promise to come back after my shift ends and I promise to talk about us,” he whispered and pressed a lingering kiss on the top of her head.

He was fighting the urge to kiss her properly and he resisted.

All of the kisses they exchanged so far were enlaced with fear of unknown and doubt and regrets.

He was given a chance to do it right this time.

They would talk. Then they would kiss.

They had all night.

And many more after that.


End file.
